As the season reaches its final games, there are quite a few story lines to pay attention to. There’s the 2011 AL & NL Wildcard races that are closer than anyone could have ever imagined (and closer than the Red Sox ever wanted). There’s the MVP and Cy Young debates in both the American and National League. And then there’s Matt Kemp’s Triple Crown Chase.
The Triple Crown is defined as a single player who is leading the league in Batting Average (player must reach minimum # of at bats), Home Runs, and Runs Batted In. The Triple Crown is such a huge deal because most players fall into one of the following categories:
- Singles/Average Hitter
- Power Hitter
If you want to hit home runs, the usual result is more strikeouts and fly ball outs. If you want to hit for a high average, you generally tend to lose some of your power numbers.
Then there’s Matt Kemp – who is making his case for NL MVP in addition to chasing the Triple Crown. Follow along for the final few games as Matt Kemp makes his run at the National League Triple Crown.
Batting Average |
Home Runs |
Runs Batted In |
| .324 (Third in NL) | 38 (Tied for NL Lead) | 124 (Leads NL) |